Game Story; Va. Commonwelath 77, JMU 69

Saturday, January 10

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3-8, 0-3

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9-4, 3-1

Virginia Commonwealth

James Madison

1/10/2004 12:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. (1/10/2004) – Domonic Jones had season highs of 27 points and 13 rebounds to lead Virginia Commonwealth to a 77-66 victory.

Jones was 8-for-18 from the field and 9-for-12 on free throws. He hit on five free throws during the last 47 seconds as the Rams held on despite JMU getting to within 73-69 with 0:20 left. His 13 rebounds were one off his career high.

JMU, who never led, made several surges to cut a 35-21 deficit to four. The first came on an 8-0 run to open the final half, but VCU ran the lead to 51-39 with 10:13 left. JMU's David Cooper had a layup with 6:31 left to make it 54-50 before the teams traded three-pointers. VCU then went on a 10-3 run to lead to 67-56 with 2:21 left.

The lead was 69-58 with 1:41 left before JMU's Dwayne Broyles had nine of his 14 points on three-pointers to cut the difference to 71-67 with 0:33 left. JMU's Daniel Freeman hit on two free throws with 0:20 left after VCU's Michael Doles had hit on two, and Jones hit on two at the 19.2- and 6.3-second marks.

VCU set a frenetic pace with its defensive intensity and backboard domination to take a 15-2 lead 5:50 into the teams' 49th meeting. JMU's first score came on a jumper by Chris Williams at the 15:45 mark and after the Rams had scored eight points. By the 11:55 mark, the Dukes, trailing 15-5, were 1-for-13 from the field and VCU had blocked five shots.

VCU had a 35-23 lead at halftime on 51.9 percent shooting (14-27) and a 27-12 rebounding edge. The Rams finished 27-for-53 from the field and with 45 rebounds to JMU's 29. The Dukes shot 27.6 percent (8-29) during the first half but improved to 52.9 percent (18-34) during the second.

Jones was joined in double-figure in scoring for the Rams by Doles with 15, Troy Godwin with 13 and Nick George with 12.

Broyles, who had one point during the first half, was one of three Dukes to finish in double figures in scoring. John Naparlo came off the bench to better his career high by three points with 12. Freeman had 10 points, his second double-figure effort of the year.